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Latter Day Struggles — Health & Fitness
Latter Day Struggles

The Latter Day Struggles Podcast addresses beliefs and issues within the LDS faith that are challenging to talk about but vital to discuss for those trying to navigate their relationship in or around the church. Valerie and her guests invite psychological maturity, theological health, and institutional integrity.

Copyright: © 2025 Latter Day Struggles

Latest Episodes:

233: How Some Religious Teachings May Cause Anxiety & Harm Self Worth Jun 10, 2024

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Series Title: Healing from Spiritual Scrupulosity [Part III of IV]
In this episode Valerie welcomes fellow therapist colleague Brannon Patrick for a discussion highlighting the profound impact of OCD scrupulosity on individuals within the LDS community.

In an unexpected turn of events, both Val and Brannon realize that they each struggled in their adolescence with the same unnamed fear of God's disappointment accompanied by attempts to mitigate these fears with scrupulous behaviors.

They explore how church teachings can exacerbate anxiety, particularly through doctrines that emphasize perfectionism and earning forgiveness.

This discussion advocates for a shift towards creating a supportive, healing church environment that views God as a loving companion in our journeys, not a harsh or disappointed judge.

Join them on Friday for a final conversation in this series about the vulnerabilities of full-time LDS missionary service on those with tendencies to struggle with spiritual scrupulosity and several recommendations on how to begin to heal as a spiritual community.

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231: Unlearning Beliefs about a Disappointed God to Heal from Scrupulosity Jun 03, 2024

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Series Title: Healing from Spiritual Scrupulosity [Part I of IV]
In this opening episode focused on OCD spiritual scrupulosity in the context of the LDS church, Valerie begins by interviewing Taylor Kerby, author the the book "Scrupulous: My Obsessive Compulsion for God".

In this episode Taylor shares his journey with spiritual scrupulosity, explaining how these conditions manifested as compulsive religious behaviors fueled by some of the doctrine and practices connected to his LDS faith tradition.

This episode tackles the first of five key vulnerabilities linking spiritual scrupulosity within the LDS faith: spiritual exceptionalism, low emphasis on personal authority, anxiety around sex and the theology of the body, a transactional relationship with God, and an atonement theology sometimes leading to shame and fear.

Friday's episode digs into the rest of the five topics--ultimately emphasizing the importance of respectful and healing dialogue and urging listeners to prioritizes love, service, and grace over perfection. This entire series is a call for greater awareness and support for those grappling with OCD spiritual scrupulosity.

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229: Rewriting LDS Women’s History of Motherhood May 27, 2024

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Series Title: Exploration of Camille Johnson’s Address about Modern Mormon Motherhood [Part II of II]
In preparation for Friday's sensitive-content exclusive episode 230, Valerie offers a detailed overview of the entirety of General Relief Society President Camille Johnson's recent address given at the 2024 BYU Women's Conference.
This address was both intriguing and concerning, focusing concurrently on both following the specific directions of outside authority as the safest means of living one’s life while also encouraging women to follow the counsel of the spirit to allow God to prevail in a path that is unique to each woman.
In this episode Val sets the stage for the deeper dive into issues that intersect the topics of healthy human development, sound theology, and a call for institutional accountability regarding the impact that past teachings have had on thousands of LDS women.
Join Valerie and Nathan on Friday’s episode 230 for the in-depth analysis of the address reviewed in today’s episode 229. Information on how to subscribe to their new Buzzsprout platform found below.

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Bonus! May 26, 2024

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Big News! Listen in and rest assured that more info is coming! Thanks for being here on our mutual faith expansion journey!

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227: The Harder the Better? with "At Last She Said It!" May 20, 2024

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In this thought-provoking episode Valerie is the guest on the fabulous podcast "At Last She Said It" with hosts Cynthia Winward and Susan Hinckley. In this conversation this dynamic trio dives deep into the challenging concept of "good hard" vs. "bad hard" within the LDS community.
They highlight the crucial difference between actions driven by fear and shame versus those fueled by love and personal choice. Through heartfelt personal experiences and some critical reflections, Susan, Cynthia, and Val emphasize honoring one's inner compass, advocating for spiritually meaningful paths shaped by personal empowerment and most importantly, they challenge each of us to rethink the valorization of suffering, advocating instead for balanced, joyful living aligned with the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

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225: Finding Feminine Wisdom through the Cycles of Nature w/ Kathryn Sontag May 13, 2024

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Series Title: The Feminine Divine, Nature, & Radical Healing [Part III of IV]
In this enlightening conversation, Valerie and special guest author Kathryn Sonntag delve deeper into the enriching concepts presented in "The Mother Tree: Discovering the Love and Wisdom of Our Divine Mother."

In this episode they continue using the metaphor of a tree to help us understand how to find personal wholeness through the integration of the masculine and the feminine.

Kathryn relates the trunk of the tree to 1) our mortal existence, 2) to the present and, 3) to the sacred nature of the earth and its deeply feminine cycles of birth, death, and rebirth as chief evidence that the divine indeed is deeply feminine.

Join us next time as we conclude our series on "The Mother Tree," where we will further delve into how the integration of our divine masculine and feminine energies can lead to a richer, more harmonious personal and spiritual life.

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223: Learning to Look at a Tree & Find Both Sides of God w/ Kathryn Sontag May 07, 2024

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Series Title: The Feminine Divine, Nature, & Radical Healing [Part I of IV]
In this enlightening part one of this new series Valerie welcomes author and feminist scholar Kathryn Knight Sonntag to explore the themes of growth, development, and spiritual connection through Kathryn's book, "The Mother Tree."
Their discussion encompasses the significance of trees in various spiritual traditions, their representation of sacred spaces, and their role in depicting the interconnectedness of life and spirituality. They emphasize the potential for individual healing and growth through the integration of both feminine and masculine energies, reflecting on the challenges LDS women face in a male-dominated patriarchal culture.
This episode is a compelling call to recognize and harmonize the masculine and feminine within ourselves and our LDS faith tradition for a more balanced and healing spiritual experience.

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221: Supporting Spiritual & Relational Wellness if Stepping Away from the Church w/ Dr Julie Hanks Apr 29, 2024

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In this episode Valerie is joined by friend and colleague Dr. Julie Hanks, where they discuss the emotional and psychological complexities of stepping away from the LDS faith for those who feel called to do so.
They emphasize the importance of making this transition in a psychologically healthy manner, and how challenging this is to do in a climate where not a lot of resources are available and this decision is fraught with so much distress and loneliness.
The discussion covers potential challenges such as navigating changes in relationships with family and the larger community, managing internalized beliefs and fears, and the grief that accompanies leaving one's spiritual community.
Note: Valerie and Julie are not prescribing leaving (or not leaving) the LDS church. They wish to support their LDS and surrounding community in psychologically-thriving independent of church membership or attendance status.
For those interested in exploring how to stay involved in the LDS faith in psychologically healthy ways, please listen to episode 193 of Latter Day Struggles.

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Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

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Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

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219: Challenging Sacrament Exclusion for Any Reason Apr 22, 2024

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Series Title: A Deeper Look at the Sacrament [Part III of IV]
In this profound episode 3 [of a four-part series] Valerie and Nathan engage in a crucial discussion on the implications of withholding the sacrament for any reason within the LDS Church. They challenge the harmful practice of using the sacrament as a disciplinary measure, which can reinforce feelings of both public and internalized shame and unworthiness. They emphasize the importance of inclusivity in all spiritual practice and the spiritual damage done (to the denied individual, their families, and the faith community) as a result of the practice of withholding the sacrament. In Friday's concluding episode of this series, Val and Nathan get more granular, reflecting on several aspects of the culture and practice around LDS sacrament administration (everything from exactly worded prayers to the proper uniform and beyond) calling for a more compassionate and understanding church culture that truly reflects the generous and loving nature of the divine.

Info on how to subscribe to listen to Friday’s episode is directly below. See you there!———

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Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

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217: Sacrament Practices Across Time & Spiritual Tradition Apr 15, 2024

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Series Title: A Deeper Look at the Sacrament [Part I of IV]
In this thought-provoking opening of a new series, Val and Nathan engage in a deep exploration of the sacrament's significance in Christian practice and how it might sometimes diverge from the inclusive message of Jesus Christ.
They set this series up by comparing and contrasting the history and diverse practices of sacrament across various denominations. Val then dons her "therapist hat" and discusses why and how embodied ceremonies can be a powerful tool for brain growth, learning, and meaning-making and how the concept of the sacrament has the potential to be a rich means of communion with self, God, and others.
They also offer thoughts on how the sacramental ceremony can become less meaningful and even harmful when misappropriated for various reasons, which will be explored in detail in this series.
This four-part series is intended to not only explore deeply the concept of sacrament broadly in the LDS faith, but also greatly broadens the concept of sacramental worship in a way that faith-expanding Latter-day Saints can embrace as an expression of their own growth journey.

Info on how to subscribe to listen to Friday’s episode is directly below. See you there!

Support the show

Join Our Healing From Patriarchy Support Group

Support the show

Listen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES

Friday Episodes Annual Access $89

Friday Episodes Monthly Access $10

Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups

Gift a Scholarship

Download Free Resources

Visit our Website

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